Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project
is a computer game based on the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion. The player assumes control of Shinji Ikari, the protagonist and main character of the normal Neon Genesis Evangelion series, and schedules his daily life to prepare for battles with Angels and other major plot points. Every Sunday, the player can choose two activities per day for Shinji to complete over the next week. What Shinji does influences his parameters (for example, taking Battle Training will increase his ability in Eva battles). On these Sundays, Shinji and Misato can also take part in extra activities, such as shopping for items which have various effects on Shinji's parameters, or going to work at NERV, which unlocks new Eva equipment. Battle controls are menu-driven and the outcome is determined by a combination of different parameters. At various points in the game, Shinji will also be asked to make dialogue choices which can influence events and conversations that follow. The game also introduces three new female NERV technicians: Kaede Agano Character information at official Gainax page for Shinji Ikari Raising Project game (Japanese) (voiced by ), Satsuki Ooi Character information at official Gainax page for Shinji Ikari Raising Project game (Japanese) (voiced by ), and Aoi Mogami Character information at official Gainax page for Shinji Ikari Raising Project game (Japanese) (voiced by ). The game is available in Japanese and Korean for Windows PCs and has received fan-translations into English and Russian.The Visual Novel Database's page on the game. Plot The game features three main story routes, known as Thanatos, Pathos and Campus, respectively. Each route goes for a different amount of "episodes", which can last between two and eight weeks of in-game time and focus on a specific segment of the story. Which route the player ends up on is primarily determined by the hidden Independence parameter. There is also an additional route known as the Kaworu Nagisa Education Project, unlocked after beating the game (see Kaworu Nagisa Education Project section.) All three main routes can be identified by the player by looking at the dialogue box shown in each episode. The Thanatos route's dialogue box has a dark grey border with the words 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' embedded above the character portrait. The Pathos route's dialogue box is a lighter grey with two green stripes on either side of the character portrait. The Campus route's dialogue box is purple with a gold trim around the edges. After episode 21, the player is locked into the route they're on, except in the case of Campus which allows the player to decide between it and the Pathos route on episode 24. Routes Thanatos The Thanatos route loosely adapts the story of the original show and spans 26 episodes. The first seven episodes of this route are compulsory in every playthrough. Like the original series, this route sees main character, Shinji, summoned to NERV by his estranged father, Gendo Ikari, and tasked with piloting an Evangelion unit. He is placed under care of Misato Katsuragi, who functions as his guardian and parental figure. He and the other pilots, Rei Ayanami and later, Asuka Langley Soryu, must fight alien-like beings called Angels in order to prevent the Third Impact from occurring. While it cuts out certain things from the original series for time constraints and adds in some original scenes and character interactions, the Thanatos route does not diverge from it in any substantial way. It adapts up to a brief version of Episode 26', and culminates in an ending featuring the red sea from the end of said episode. Pathos After episode 7, the player will have the ability to move to and from Thanatos and the Pathos route, a version of events which follows basically the same plot outline but in a more comedic fashion. This route sees Shinji and the other characters doing a number of recreational activites to progress in the story, such as selling ice-cream, camping and synchronized swimming. This route also sees both Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida becoming Eva pilots. It culminates in the Third Impact being prevented, as well as a number of additional, optional endings determined by the player's stats. Campus Starting in episode 21, the third route, Campus, which loosely adapts the alternate, slice-of-life-esque world presented in episode 26 of the original series, may be unlocked by the player. The Campus route is what inspired the manga of the same name. This route sees Shinji attending class in a universe with no Evas or Angels, living a normal life as a teenage boy, where the staff at NERV are now his teachers and the original Evangelion series is a fictional work written by he and Kaworu Nagisa in class. Mana Kirishima is also now one of the students of class 2-A, and his mother, Yui Ikari, is alive and away on international work. This path culminates in one of two ways: either the player chooses to have Shinji end the Evangelion story with 'a happy ending in the new world', and the path will continue until episode 26 and give the player one of several Campus-specific ending combinations, or they will choose to end it by returning to the original world and the path will terminate on episode 24 and return to the Pathos route instead. If the second option is chosen, it will be revealed that the Campus route was a dream of Misato's. Gameplay Parameters During the game you may raise Shinji's parameters, which influence the ending and gameplay. These include: *'Intelligence' (学力, ""Gakuryoku""): The higher this is, the less likely Shinji will fail tests. It also aides in shooting accuracy in battle (in combination with synchronisation rate). *'Physical strength' (体力, ""Tairyoku""): The higher this is, the less likely Shinji will become sick. It also increases the strength of attacks, as well as the Evas' defense in battle (in combination with sensitivity and synchronization rate). *'Morality' (道徳, ""Dōtoku""): The higher this is, the more likely Shinji will listen to Misato during battle. *'Sensitivity' (感受性, ""Kanjusei""): The higher this is, the higher the Evas defense during battle will be (in combination with physical strength and synchronization rate). *'Sex Appeal' (色気, ""Iroke""): The higher this is, the more attracted the women in the game will be to Shinji. It may also trigger some weekly events (i.e. an event where Misato confronts Shinji over hiding pornography magazines in his room.) *'Synchronization rate' (シンクロ率, ""Shinkuro-ritsu""): The higher this is, the greater shooting accuracy (in combination with intelligence) and greater defence (in combination with physical strength and sensitivity) an Eva will have. A higher synchronization rate also means that Eva Unit-01 will go berserk after taking less damage in battle. *'Stress' (ストレス, ""Sutoresu""): The higher this is, the more likely Shinji will get sick. It functions primarily in relation to the physical strength stat; if stress is lower than strength, Shinji will stay healthy. *'Work Progress' (仕事進捗, ""Shigoto Shinchoku""): Misato's progress into developing new weapons, based on how frequently the player selects the "NERV Official Work" option from the Sunday menu. *'Money' (所持金, ""Shojikin""): On the first Sunday of any given month, Misato will receive either 10,000 yen, or 7,000 yen if the city was damaged in the previous battle. *'Independence' (自立度, ""Jiritsu-do""): A hidden parameter; the amount Shinji has will affect which game path you obtain. *'Affection' (好意, ""Kōi""): A number of hidden parameters (for Misato, Asuka, Rei, Mana, Satsuki, Aoi, Kaede, Kaji and Shinji's Friends); These stats are related mostly to romance events and determine which endings Shinji may get. Scheduled activities The bulk of the game involves the player scheduling Shinji's week every Sunday. The activities he can partake in will affect his parameters in the short-term and, subsequently, the outcome of the game the long-term, including which route the player ends up on and what ending they get. There are several standard activities which occur weekly, as well as additional activities triggered by story events and some specific to the Campus route. Standard activities: * Attending School '(登校, ""'Tōkō""): Taught by Nebukawa no Sensei; Increases Shinji's intelligence. Decreases Shinji's synchronisation rate. * Intelligence Enhancement '(知能強化, ""'Chinō Kyōka""): Taught by Aoi Mogami; Increases Shinji's intelligence. * Fitness Enhancement (体力強化, ""Tairyoku Kyōka""): Taught by Shigeru Aoba and Ryoji Kaji; Increases Shinji's physical strength. * Mental Enhancement (精神強化, ""Seishin Kyōka""): Taught by Kaede Agano; Increases Shinji's morality. * Sensitivity Enhancement '(感性強化, ""'Kansei Kyōka""): Taught by Satsuki Ooi; Increases Shinji's sensitivity. * Synchronization Test '(シンクロテスト, ""'Shinkuro Tesuto""): Taught by Ritsuko Akagi; Increases Shinji's synchronization rate. Decreases independence. * Battle Training '(戦闘訓練, ""'Sentō Kunren""): Taught by Misato Katsuragi; Decreases Shinji's stress and independence. * Free Time '(自由行動, ""'Jiyū Kōdō""): If scheduled in the morning, Shinji will hang out in his room by himself. If scheduled in the afternoon, he will go out with Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida. Decreases Shinji's stress. * Music Club (音楽部, ""Ongaku-bu""): Run by Mana Kirishima. Increases Mana's affection parameter. * AV Club '(映像研究会, ""'Eizō Kenkyūkai""): Run by Kensuke Aida. Increases Friend affection parameter. * Basketball Club '(バスケ部, ""'Basuke-bu""): Run by Toji Suzuhara. Increases Friend affection parameter. * Vacation '(バカンス, ""'Bakansu""): Done with Misato, Asuka can be invited; increases independence. If the cinema option is chosen, Shinji's parameters will be affected by the kind of film he sees. Story-based activities: * Exams '(試験, ""'Shiken""): Occur multiple times a year at school. * Tutoring '(補習, ""'Hoshū""): Occurs if Shinji fails any of his exams at school. * Parent-teacher Interviews (三者面談, ""Sansha Mendan""): Occurs in Thanatos route, episode 4. * Dance '(ダンス, ""'Dansu""): Occurs in Thanatos route, episode 8. * Synchronized Swimming '(シンクロ, ""'Shinkuro""): Occurs in Pathos route, episode 8. * Beach House '(海の家, ""'Umi no Ie""): Occurs in Pathos route, episode 9. * School Trip '(修学旅行, ""'Shūgaku Ryokō""): Occurs in Pathos route, episode 10. * Sports Carnival '(体育祭, ""'Taiiku Matsuri""): Occurs in Pathos route, episode 12. * Culture Festival '(文化祭, ""'Bunka Matsuri""): Occurs in Pathos route, episode 14. * Survival '(サバイバル, ""'Sabaibaru""): Occurs in Pathos route, episode 18. * Salvage '(サルベージ, ""'Sarubeeji""): Occurs in Thanatos route, episode 21. * Choir Practice (合唱練習, ""Gasshō Renshū"": Occurs in Campus route, episode 23. * Choir Competition (合唱コンクール, ""Gasshō Konkūru""): Occurs in Campus route, episode 23. Campus route-specific scheduled activities: * Attending School '(登校, ""'Tōkō""): Taught by Misato; Increases Shinji's intelligence. Decreases Shinji's synchronisation rate. * Cram School '(学習塾, ""'Gakushū juku""): Taught by Aoi; Increases Shinji's intelligence. * Sports Club '(スポーツクラブ, ""'Supootsu Kurabu""): Taught by Kaji; Increases Shinji's physical strength. * Volunteer Work (ボランティア, ""Borantia""): Taught by Kaede; Increases Shinji's morality. * Culture School '(カルチャースクール, ""'Karuchaa Sukuuru""): Taught by Satsuki; Increases Shinji's sensitivity. Relationships Shinji's relationships with the other characters in the game are influenced by their hidden Affection parameters. The player can raise said parameters through scheduled activities like other stats in the game. All relationships can be affected by other story-based events not listed here. * Misato Katsuragi -''' Misato's affection is influenced by the extra choices available on Sunday. Choosing the '''Cleaning '''option will raise it by 5, whereas choosing the '''NERV Official Work '''option will lower it by 5. It also raises by 7 every time Shinji attends '''Battle Training classes, given that he is alone. A high affection parameter for Misato can result in a romance ending. * Asuka Langley Soryu - '''Asuka's affection will raise by 5 points every time she and Shinji attend a scheduled activity together. It can also be raised by 5 points by '''Cleaning on Sundays. A high affection parameter for Asuka can result in a romance ending. * Rei Ayanami - '''Rei's affection will raise by 5 points every time she and Shinji attend a scheduled activity together. A high affection parameter for Rei can result in a romance ending. * '''Mana Kirishima - '''Mana is unlocked through Shinji joining the '''Music Club at the start of the game. Mana's affection will be increased by 10 points every time Shinji attends her club. A high affection parameter for Mana can result in a romance ending. * Satsuki Ooi - '''Satsuki's affection will raise by 7 points every time Shinji attends the '''Sensitivity Enhancement Program '''or '''Culture School, given that he is alone. A high affection parameter for Satsuki can result in a romance ending. * Kaede Agano - '''Kaede's affection will raise by 7 points every time Shinji attends the '''Mental Enhancement Program '''or '''Volunteer Work, given that he is alone. A high affection parameter for Kaede can result in a romance ending. * Aoi Mogami - '''Aoi's affection will raise by 7 points every time Shinji attends the '''Intelligence Enhancement Program '''or '''Cram School, given that he is alone. A high affection parameter for Aoi can result in a romance ending. * Kaworu Nagisa - '''Kaworu does not have an affection parameter. Instead, attending a scheduled activity together will drop everyone else's affection stats by 20 points. If the affection parameters of both the women and Shinji's friends are below 200, this can result in a romance ending. * '''Kaji Ryoji - '''After Kaji arrives in the story, his affection will raise by 5 points every time Shinji attends the '''Fitness Enhancement Program '''or '''Sports Club, given that he is alone. If his affection is higher than 200, extra dialogue from Kaji will be present in Pathos Episode 26. * Friends - ''''Friends' refers to all of Shinji's classmates, but mostly Toji and Kensuke. Affection will raise by 5 points if Shinji attends '''School,' '''given that he is alone, '''Free Time' with Toji and Kensuke or the Basketball and AV Clubs. 'High affection with friends can result in a number of different endings, namely the World Without Shinji endings. Battle Angel battles occur once every few episodes. These battles will generally conclude one of two ways: in the first, Shinji and the other pilots will defeat the angel using their weapons, and in the second, Unit-01 will go berserk after taking too much damage and the angel will be destroyed that way instead. New and more powerful weapons for battle can be obtained using the '''NERV Official Work '''feature in the Sunday menu. The battle menu contains several options: * '''Wait '(待機, ""'''Taiki""): On Misato's menu. Puts the N2 mines on stand-by until the next round. * Armed Building (武装ビル, ""Busō Biru""): On Misato's menu. Fires N2 mines from the armed buildings, attacking the angel. * Attack (攻撃, ""Kōgeki""): On the Eva menu. The Eva will attack the angel with or without a weapon. * Close in (肉薄, ""Nikuhaku""): On the Eva menu. The Eva will drop its equipment and attack the angel directly. (Only available when holding an item.) * Defend (防御, ""Bōgyo""): On the Eva menu. Magnifies the Eva's defense. * Concentrate (集中, ""Shūchū""): On the Eva menu. Magnifies the Eva's concentration ratio. (Available only when holding an item). * Wait (待機, ""Taiki"")): On the Eva menu. The Eva will wait for an incoming attack from the angel and counter it. Battles may also cause damage to stores. This will result in 3,000 yen being deducted from Misato's monthly allowance from NERV in order to rebuild destroyed buildings. Stores may be closed for short periods of time following this occurrence. Endings Each route in the game has its own set of endings. All routes have endings determined by Shinji's affection parameters, with the owner of the highest affection (or Kaworu, if the others are all low) being the focus of the ending. Some endings also see Shinji taking on a career path and are determined by his other parameters, primarily physical strength, sex appeal and morality; these are found in both the Pathos and Campus routes, and come in combination with a relationship ending. Thanatos Endings * Adam and Eve (アダムとイヴ, ""Adamu to Ivu"") endings; with one for Misato, Asuka, Rei, Mana, Satsuki, Aoi and Kaede, respectively. Occurs if the affection parameters for any of the women is over 200 points, given that the affection for Shinji's friends is lower than the highest affection parameter of the women. These endings see Shinji and the person with the highest affection having a conversation on the beach. * The Sea of LCL (LCLの海, ""LCL no Umi"") ending. Occurs if the women's and friends' affection parameters are all below 200 points. This ending sees Kaworu on the beach, speaking to an absent Shinji, who has chosen to stay in instrumentality. * A''' '''World Without Shinji (シンジの居ない世界, ""Shinji no Inai Sekai"") ending. Occurs if the friend affection parameter is above 200 points and no woman's affection is higher than it. This ending sees episode 21 of the Campus route play out without Shinji, who has chosen to stay in instrumentality. Also occurs in the Pathos route. Pathos, Relationship Endings * Keeping Company '''(-'と付き合う, ""'-to Tsukiau'"") endings; with one for Misato, Asuka, Rei, Mana, Satsuki, Aoi and Kaede, respectively. Occurs if the affection parameter for any of the women is over 200 points. These endings see Shinji dating the woman with the highest affection parameter, given that the friend affection is lower than it. Also occurs in the Campus route. * '''Fine Person '(イイヒト, ""Ii Hito"") ending. Occurs if the affection parameter for Shinji's friends is over 200 points, given that no woman's affection is higher than it. This ending sees Shinji doing fine by himself without a partner. Also occurs in the Campus route. * A''' '''World Without Shinji (シンジの居ない世界, ""Shinji no Inai Sekai"") ending. Occurs if the friend affection parameter is above 200 points and no woman's affection is higher than it. This ending sees episode 21 of the Campus route play out without Shinji, who has chosen to stay in instrumentality. Also occurs in the Thanatos route. Campus, Relationship Endings * Joined in Marriage (-と結ばれる, ""'-to Musubareru'"") endings; with one for Misato, Asuka, Rei, Mana, Satsuki, Aoi and Kaede, respectively. Occurs if the affection parameter for any of the women is over 300 points, given that the friend affection is lower than it. These endings see Shinji and the person with the highest affection getting married. * Living with Kaworu '(カヲルと同棲, ""'Kaworu to Dōsei"") ending. Occurs if the women's and friends' affection parameters are all below 200 points. This ending sees Shinji and Kaworu in a domestic relationship. * Keeping Company '''(-'と付き合う, ""'-to Tsukiau'"") endings; with one for Misato, Asuka, Rei, Mana, Satsuki, Aoi and Kaede, respectively. Occurs if the affection parameter for any of the women is over 200 points, but below 300, given that the friend affection is lower than it. These endings see Shinji dating the woman with the highest affection. Also occurs in the Pathos route. * '''Fine Person '(イイヒト, ""Ii Hito"") ending. Occurs if the affection parameter for Shinji's friends is over 200 points, given that no woman's affection is higher than it. This ending sees Shinji doing fine by himself without a partner. Also occurs in the Pathos route. Pathos and Campus, Career Path Endings * Cellist (チェロ奏者, ""Chero Sōsha"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the Music Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Sensitivity. If Sensitivity is over 300 points, a different version of this ending will occur. This ending sees Shinji becoming a professional cellist. * Rock Band '(ロックバンド, ""'Rokku Bando"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the Music Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Sex Appeal. If Sex Appeal is over 300 points, a different version of this ending will occur. This ending sees Shinji forming a rock band. * Stage Director (舞台演出家, ""Butai Enshutsuka"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the AV Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Intelligence. If Intelligence is over 300 points, a different version of this ending will occur. This ending sees Shinji becoming a stage play director. * Painter '(画家, ""'Gaka"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the AV Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Sensitivity. If Sensitivity is over 300 points, a different version of this ending will occur. This ending sees Shinji becoming a professional painter. * Manga Artist '(漫画家, ""'Mangaka"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the AV Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Sex Appeal. If Sex Appeal is over 300 points, a different version of this ending will occur. This ending sees Shinji working with Kensuke to become a professional manga artist. * Novelist '(小説家, ""'Shōsetsuka"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the AV Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Intelligence. If Intelligence is over 300 points, a different version of this ending will occur. This ending sees Shinji becoming a professional fiction writer. * Action Hero '(アクションヒーロー, ""'Akushon Hīrō"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the AV Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Physical Strength. This ending sees Shinji becoming the action movie hero, Blademan. * Basketball Player '(バスケ選手, ""'Basuke Senshu"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the Basketball Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Physical Strength. If Physical Strength is over 300 points, a different version of this ending will occur. This ending sees Shinji becoming a professional basketball player. * Youth Overseas Cooperation Volunteer '(青年海外協力隊, ""'Seinen Kaigai Kyōryoku-tai"") ending. Occurs if Shinji joined the Basketball Club and visited it 30 or more times, and his highest parameter is Morality. This ending sees Shinji acting as a volunteer helping out in a foreign country. * Middle School Teacher '(中学教師, ""'Chūgaku Kyōshi"") ending. Occurs if Shinji did not join a club (or didn't visit one 30 times), and his highest parameter is Morality. This ending sees Shinji become a teacher at a middle school. * College Student '(大学生, ""'Daigakusei"") ending. Occurs if Shinji did not join a club (or didn't visit one 30 times), and his highest parameter is Intelligence. This ending sees Shinji attending college with Asuka, Rei and Mana. * Stuck In School '(浪人生, ""'Rōnin"") ending. Occurs if Shinji did not join a club (or didn't visit one 30 times), and his Intelligence is under 200 points, given that he doesn't qualify for any other ending. This ending sees Shinji stuck in college, repeatedly failing the same year. Bonus Episode: Kaworu Nagisa Education Project After the player has finished the game once, an extra episode known as the Kaworu Nagisa Education Project (渚カヲル養成計画, ""Nagisa Kaworu Yōsei Keikaku"") will be unlocked. This episode functions as a fourth, separate gameplay route, in which the player takes control of Kaworu Nagisa and must complete four weeks worth of scheduling in an attempt to seduce Shinji, on command of SEELE. The aim is for the player to match Kaworu's schedule up with Shinji's as much as possible. Every Sunday, Kaworu will have the option of asking Ritsuko to complete an investigation into Shinji's schedule as it is entered by Misato into the database. This will only show half of his schedule; the other half, which stays the same each week, must be worked out by the player through trial and error. The player can instead decide to have Kaworu take a lesson from Ritsuko on humanity. If this option is selected, Shinji's schedule cannot be accessed that week and will need to be guessed instead. Following Shinji's schedule will result in bonus events occurring once a week on Saturday. The bonus episode functions slightly differently to the main game in terms of parameters. The most important parameters are stress, morality and Shinji's hidden affection stat. Kaworu's stress raises by 20 points every time he completes a class and will start to skip his scheduled activities if his stress is higher than his morality. It can be lowered by attending free time with Shinji on Thursday mornings. This episode has four possible endings, determined by how closely Kaworu followed Shinji's schedule as well as his morality parameter. The endings are not named. * 'Ending 1: '''Occurs if Shinji's affection is over 500 points and morality is not Kaworu's highest parameter. This ending sees Kaworu and Shinji run away together, while SEELE prepare to start the Human Instrumentality Project. * '''Ending 2: '''Occurs if Shinji's affection is over 500 points and morality is Kaworu's highest parameter. This ending sees Kaworu betray SEELE and tell Shinji about their plans, as well as his own identity as an angel. * '''Ending 3: '''Occurs if Shinji's affection is between 300 and 500 points. This ending sees Kaworu die after Shinji tells him that he can't leave NERV to be with him. * '''Ending 4: '''Occurs if Shinji's affection is lower than 300 points. This ending sees Kaworu die after Shinji fails to meet with him. See also ;*Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project (manga) References External links *"Yet Another Evangelion Manga Spinoff" *ActiveAnime Vol. 1 review *ActiveAnime Vol. 2 review *ActiveAnime Vol. 5 review *PCS review of vol 1 *Mania.com review of vol 1 *[http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/1/31/lifebookshelf/5191325&sec=lifebookshelf ''The Star] review of manga vol 1 Category:Games ru:Shinji Ikari Raising Project